


Retribution

by Wishfulthinking1979



Series: Hunting Scum and Villainy [6]
Category: Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Angst and Feels, Good thing there's the Force, Heavy Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Sevan is not a villain to take lightly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2020-09-01
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:55:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26229043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wishfulthinking1979/pseuds/Wishfulthinking1979
Summary: Sevan Nilo has been arrested and is in prison on board the Executor. But her reach is long and she knows Piett's weakness.....
Relationships: Firmus Piett & Darth Vader, Firmus Piett & Maximilian Veers, Leia Organa & Firmus Piett
Series: Hunting Scum and Villainy [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1845904
Comments: 11
Kudos: 35





	Retribution

**Author's Note:**

> I have enjoyed this particular villain and decided to give her a three story arc. This is the second with the third and much longer final one in the works.
> 
> This one is also for MilkyWayGalaxy who suggested the prompt that Leia be the one to be badly injured this time. So here it is! Thank you for the good ideas!!
> 
> Reading Inside Man would be helpful to give some context to this story. :) 
> 
> Thank you all readers! It's a joy to write for this fandom!

“I just want to get a last view of the coast,” her highness said, smiling at them and leaning in to kiss her smuggler. “I’ll see you lovely people at the speeder station.”   
  


They were on a very remote tip of this location as the princess had insisted that they take a day to travel out from the city they had been located in for a vaunted view of the ‘amethyst ocean’. 

It wasn’t really an ocean, or a sea for that matter, but a very large lake with an extraordinary purple hue and it really did look like amethyst in the sunlight. The princess and Piett had been enchanted by it, and braved the long hike down the cliff so they could walk the beach, with its varying shades of lavender sand.

Solo had been happy to look at the view with the princess from the top of the cliff, but he and Veers had decided that was plenty (Max hated sand, and wasn’t overly fond of the ocean) in favor of returning to the hotel bar and enjoying a pint. 

Piett felt it had been worth it, even given the hike back  _ up _ the cliff. He and her highness had been in time for dinner with the other two before it was time to find the speeder station which would take them back to the metropolis and their shuttle.

This town was a classic, tiny beach town and they were located in its heart. Piett sat back contentedly and watched his princess from the window as she made her way back to the incredible view. 

It was a grey day, but that was not unexpected on the coastline. The light drizzle was no problem from inside the warm hotel and he was enjoying the local beer very much. He wondered if he could have some shipped up to the Lady. A man passing the window caught his eye.

He watched him for a moment and tried to think why this man caused him to get a sense of familiarity.

Another man was moving in the same direction from the other side of the street and Piett felt the same sense with him. 

_ Why? _

The first man paused and turned to glance at the other man. And Piett knew why he was familiar.

_ He had seen him at the party Sevan had hosted for the cartels. _

He had never got a name but had seen the blonde speaking with him at the lavish event.

And he and another (Piett suspected there were more) were  _ here _ . Coincidentally here, when they were, in this tiny little beach town on a planet far from the Core.

_ Leia Organa can be reached you know _ .

His veins were filled with ice water. His brain zeroed in on one thought: Get to the princess.

“Comm the Lady!” he said hoarsely, rising and Veers and Solo looked at him in alarmed puzzlement. 

“Comm the Lady now!” 

And he was out of the bar and sprinting for the coastline, pulling his blaster as he went. He heard firing behind him but he didn’t dare stop. Veers and Solo could handle themselves. She didn’t know what was coming. 

Or did she? He was no Force sensitive, but as she was, perhaps she could pick up on his alarm. 

_ Danger!  _ He thought over and over as he ran. His muscles were complaining about their abuse, but he gave them no thought. He thought he could see her now, among other tourists milling about. 

…..that one was no tourist.

The man raised his blaster to her and the princess turned, flinging out a hand. The shot went high, but the second man was also there…..

Piett shot him in the back and her huge eyes found his, then widened at something behind him. There were more, he knew. 

“Run!” he yelled, gesturing north. “Run for the trees!” There were small copses scattered about at the top of these cliffs. 

She didn’t hesitate, but ran, reaching for her jacket as she did so.

_ Force, let her have her lightsaber in there. _

He followed and turned a few times to fire back at their pursuers.

_ Kriff, 15? More? _

Blaster fire was zapping by all around them. 

She made it to the cover, such as it was, of the trees and Piett pushed himself to catch up, his lungs burning. 

She had indeed drawn her lightsaber and turned to deflect several shots.

“Down this way,” he panted, gesturing. “It slopes to the beach. We can steal a boat. Veers and Solo are getting support!”

She nodded, and they continued. Breaking from the cover of the trees, Piett could see the lavender beach and several boats, bobbing near the pier. Quite suddenly, another lot of grim faced thugs appeared from the east, near the fishing cottages.

_ Son of a Hutt. _

The princess paused at the top of the pier to defend them as he sprinted for a boat, sizing them up as he ran and picking one that had the best looking engine. He leapt in and started it up after a bit of fiddling with wires.

“Princess!” he called, firing at each of the other boats in turn and destroying their steering mechanisms. 

She gave a last parry and deactivated her lightsaber as she turned to race toward him. He was moving away, trusting her skillset and she leapt for the boat in a hail of blaster fire.

She landed heavily beside him and he opened up the boat, pulling away and out of danger rapidly.

It grew quiet except for their harsh breathing and he turned to her…..

...to gape in horror as she lifted surprised eyes to his. 

A red stain was spreading rapidly across her abdomen, her hand pressed hard to the place.

“No. No, no, no,” he said rapidly, moving one hand from the wheel and reaching for her.

“Jacket!” she gasped, and he let go for a moment, to strip off his jacket and hand it to her. She took it in a shaky hand, wadding it to press firmly to the wound. 

“I would stop the boat, but we need to be well beyond the reach of our pursuers,” he told her, anxiously keeping one eye on her and one on his course. “I believe there’s an island around here….”

“Yes,” she panted after a moment. “To the southwest of us.”   
  


“Can you make it that far, my dear?” he asked, turning that way.

“I…..don’t know. I have to.”

He tried to quell his fear and pulled his commlink out of his pocket.

“Piett to Executor.”

Static.

“Damn it they’re jamming comms.”   
  


“I have…...another….way,” his princess said, and he saw her get that far off look that meant an unspoken conversation. 

“They’re coming….for us,” she managed, just as the Admiral spotted a dark shape in the distance.

“I see the island, dear girl, hold on.” 

He pushed the little vessel as hard as he could, and slowly the island took shape before them and then he was running them aground on the purple sands.

He dragged the boat up and out of the water, back muscles screaming at him, before he turned to the princess and moved to carefully lift her into his arms. He could feel her tension as she fought her pain, one hand pressed hard across her middle, the other clutching the back of his shirt with white knuckles.

He moved up the beach and onto the grassy shore, searching for better shelter from the much stronger wind out here.

There. A tiny little fishing shack. He stumbled toward it and appreciated the fact that there were no locks in this remote location. He nudged the salt worn door open with his foot and moved inside. 

Unsurprisingly, it smelled fishy and there were old rods, nets and buckets around the edges of the place. One dirty glass window gave illumination and there was a small bench and table. Nothing like a bed, and he didn’t trust the decayed table. Floor it was then.

He lowered himself to the worn and creaking boards and leaned his back against the wall, very carefully shifting his burden so that she sat with her back to his chest and he could help her put pressure on the wound, wrapping his arms around her securely.

“How long until they arrive?” he murmured, trying to keep his voice steady.

“Hour? Hopefully,” she responded, leaning heavily against him. “Admiral, what….about...Han and the….General?”

He wondered that too and prayed they had been able to escape the ambush.

“I don’t know my dear. I’m sorry.”

“Who….were they?” she asked after some moments of silence.

And a wave of guilt swept through him.

“They…..were some of Sevan Nilo’s people,” he responded tightly.

“The….cartel leader…..you arrested?”

“Yes, dear girl. I’m so sorry.

_ Even Jedi are not immune to harm. _

“Admiral….dear.” She craned her head slightly to look up at him. “Not….your fault.”

He bowed his head and sighed heavily. _ It was though. _

“I….antagonized her. And she looked right at me and threatened  _ you _ .”

A tiny snort, followed by her wince.

“No. You….do not get to…..blame yourself…..for murderous criminals.”

“Princess of mine, please stop talking and conserve your strength,” he said gently.

She smiled slightly. “That’s…..my phrase.”   
  


“I like it.”

He could feel the pressure she was placing on her stomach starting to ease.

“My dear, keep your hands there.”   
  


“I…..I’m so tired…..”   
  


Fear was a raging beast in his chest now.

“Dearest girl….” an idea suddenly lanced through him.

“Can you….heal yourself?”

“I….I’ve never tried on something…...this big.”

He tightened his hold and kissed her head. 

“Try.”

She let out a breath and closed her eyes. He waited, begging the Force to let this work, but she opened her eyes with gasp, head rolling back into him weakly.

“I...don’t have enough…..life force….to draw on…”

_ An hour, she’d said. He didn’t think she could last that long. Unless…. _

“Dearest girl, take mine.”

A long pause and he worried that she was unconscious.

“Admiral…..I’ve never….done that. I could…..kill you.”

He moved one of his hands, and tilted her chin slightly so she could see his face.

“I would happily give my life for yours right now,” he smiled at her. “But I also trust you. You won’t kill me.”

“I don’t….” she began reluctantly.

“I could not live with myself, if we did not try everything to save you, dear girl.”

“What if….I take….too much?”

“You won’t. Stop the bleeding---will that be enough for them to get to us?”

“Yes,” she whispered.

“All right then,” he stated, satisfied. 

“You have….far too much...faith in me….dearest Admiral,” she whispered.

He smiled though she couldn’t see it.

“I have seen what you can do, princess. It is merited. Now, take what you need from me.”

Her fingers moved to brush his as they both pressed on the jacket covering her wound.

“I love you.”   
  


“Mutual, my dear.”

He waited, unsure….

….then.

It wasn’t violent, but it was as though someone was trying to tug something from his hands insistently. He relaxed and tried to let it happen. It was very odd to feel progressively weaker himself. She shuddered and sharp pain suddenly lanced through his own abdomen.

He bit his own cheek to stop the gasp but she could feel it.

“Admiral…”

“Don’t stop,” he managed, “Is it working?”

“...yes.”

It continued, and he soldiered through it, because if it saved her it was all worth it….

And suddenly she lay still against him.

“Princess!”

He fumbled for her pulse and sighed in shaky relief when he found it---weaker than it should be, but steady.

He tried to move and found he was as weak as a Loth kitten. With tremendous effort, he drew his blaster with his right hand, keeping the left pressed over hers. He needed to be ready in case…..in case….

Was that the wind? Or did he hear engines?   
  


His adrenaline spiked and he gripped the blaster as hard as he could and…. _ kriff _ , he’d never felt so weak, well maybe one time but that had been different and he….

_ Stop wandering, Piett. Possible threats. Focus. _

Voices now, definitely voices, and he lifted the blaster, tightening his other arm around his princess. 

First one in would get it between the eyes…..

The old door creaked open, spilling in weak daylight and Piett sighted down his barrel at….

...his Lordship.

He smiled grimly at Piett.

“Stand down, Admiral.” 

Piett lowered his weapon to the floor and leaned his head back weakly against the wall, his relief so great he was afraid he might just pass out himself…..not yet. 

“My Lord,” he said as the former Sith moved to kneel beside him, “please tell me you brought medical…”   
  


“Henley is on the medical shuttle outside, Piett. You did well. I can take her now.”

And Piett moved his arm so that the father of his princess could lift her easily and he was outside in seconds.

He moved stiff limbs and found to his dismay that he wasn’t able to stand----not even close.

“Kriff it,” he sighed, but to his surprise Lord Vader was suddenly back and studying him….

“That was a brave move, Admiral. To my knowledge my daughter has never attempted to use another’s life force in healing.”   
  


“Had to try sir.”

So his Lordship could sense what had happened.

“Indeed. Come, Admiral. Are you injured anywhere?”

“No, my Lord, just…..I can’t…..” he was irritated with his own body.    
  


“I see.” And a strong arm was around him, lifting him easily to his feet, though Piett couldn’t get his legs to support anything, but suddenly Solo was there on the other side, and he and Vader practically carried him out.

This brought Piett’s mind to something else…

“Where’s Veers, sir?”

“Inside the shuttle, Admiral,” replied Solo as they crossed the stiff sea grasses toward it, and Piett saw that several members of the 501st were standing guard.

“And….our attackers, my Lord?” Piett asked, wanting nothing so much as to sleep for a week. 

“Dealt with,” said Lord Vader shortly as they entered.

“By which he means obliterated,” put in Solo with clear satisfaction.

Piett could see Henley bending over his princess, but he was being steered to the bunk across the way and Veers was seated on one at the top of the bay, his sleeve cut away and a medic working on his upper arm

“Max…!”

“It’s fine, Piett, don’t worry,” his friend said immediately as Lord Vader and Solo lowered him to the bunk and to his frustration, he found he no longer had the energy to sit. His commander seemed to have anticipated this, and his durasteel hand was under his head, allowing him to lie down without falling over.

“What happened to him, my Lord?” he heard Veers ask, concern coloring his voice, and a medic was checking his eyes (too bright!) and another was setting up an IV and his world was fading………

  
  


****

Leia felt lovely. Warm and comfortable and floating.

She mentioned this to Han and he laughed and told her to go back to sleep.

When she opened her eyes once more, things were more clear. She blinked and took in the fact that she was in sickbay, that she was free from pain, and that a warm hand was covering her left one.

She smiled.

Turning her head she took in her Admiral, sitting comfortably (Henley had finally acquiesced to some more comfortable chairs because  _ ‘you park yourselves here so often it might as well be a living room!’) _ reading something on his datapad which rested on his knee, leaving his other hand free to hold onto hers.

She squeezed his lean fingers and he looked up, smiling at her in clear relief.

“So this is how things feel on the other end of this situation,” she told him, and he snorted.

“Try not to make a practice of it my dear. I counted more grey hair in my mirror.”

“It’s not much, Admiral of mine,” she grinned. “Besides, it suits you very well.”   
  


He rolled his eyes, but she could tell he was pleased.

“How are you feeling, your highness?”

“Rather good, really. If I sit up, will Henley come panicking out?”

He glanced to the side. 

“If you feel up to it, my dear,” he said doubtfully. 

Leia cautiously eased up. Henley was good at his job. She was a bit sore, but nothing more than that. 

“I didn’t dream that Han was here did I?” 

Piett smiled, handing her a glass of water. 

“No. But he needed some rest, so I took a turn.”

She raised an eyebrow at him as she drank.

“And you? How are  _ you _ ?” she asked, lowering the glass. She reached for him in the Force, worried she might have done damage….

He patted her arm. “I am perfectly all right. I told you that you would not hurt me.”

  
  
“You’re not quite yourself,” she responded knowingly.

He sighed. “No, but it’s merely as though I hadn’t slept well for a while. Henley has allowed light duty.”

“Admiral.”

He met her gaze inquiringly.

“You literally prepared to give your life for mine. Thank you,” she told him sincerely.

“You have done the same,” he responded, rising and bending to kiss her head.

She slid her arms around him briefly. 

“I’ll be back,” he told her, pulling away and reaching for his hat.

“I thought you were on light duty,” she said, narrowing her eyes.

“A meeting my dear, I assure you,” he returned and smiled before leaving the room.

  
  


****

Anakin glanced down at the slight form by his side. Piett had his arms folded across his chest and he was putting a great deal of effort into containing his rage. 

He understood how his Admiral felt. But they needed to stay in cold and utter control here.

Sevan Nilo was brought into the small room, still carrying herself with that queenly grace despite the prison jumpsuit. Her guards cuffed her to the table and then left the room at Anakin’s indication. 

She cocked her head at them, studying them both. Whatever she saw on Piett’s granite expression made her smile thinly.

“Well. Both of you to see me. Whatever about I wonder?”

“You failed,” Piett told her flatly.

“I have no idea what you mean,” she said lightly, but Anakin could read her emotions and her frustration was clear in the Force.

“You do,” he said. “You attempted to take my daughter’s life. That attempt failed thanks to the Admiral, among others.”

He could feel Piett’s rolling guilt.

“We are not here for your pointless denials, Sevan,” the Admiral said in his most ‘Imperial’ tones. “We are interested in how you are contacting your lackeys when you are in prison on board the Executor.”

She bit her lip lightly and raised an eyebrow at Piett.

“And I’ll just tell you that because you ask in your command tones?” she returned with a slightly mocking air. “I don’t deny, you’re very appealing in ‘Admiral’ mode, but I’m certainly not going to tell you that.”

Piett lifted his chin ever so slightly and moved his arms to clasp his hands behind his back, and his Admiral was in battle stance. 

She sensed it as well, but the woman was incorrigible and gave her most lethal and charming smile.

“I see why you chose him….Vader? Skywalker? Do you have a preference?”

“As you are on board the Lady, Lord Vader will do.”

“Mmm. Well,  _ Lord Vader, _ I have absolutely no intention of telling you how I operate. I owe you nothing and you have caused me great harm.”

“Great harm!” Piett snorted. “You measure that only in credits. The harm you have caused is far more profound.”

“Are you speaking personally here, or more broadly, Admiral?” she asked sweetly. “I did warn you, you know, that Leia Organa could be reached.”

Anakin could practically hear Piett’s teeth grind, but his officer kept his composure, despite his near molten levels of anger.

“You did, Sevan. Happily, as her highness has far more skillsets than you and something called courage, which you may care to look into, she will be fine. I spoke more broadly, however.”

The woman studied Piett once more, seriously, and Anakin realized that she had barely spoken to him in this exchange. And that was curious….

He reached in the Force for her as she spoke.

“People make their own choices, Admiral. I do not force anyone to buy spice, much less use it.”

_ She was...intrigued by Piett. Bordering on attraction to him. Interesting.  _

“No. But you force people to do other things in pursuit of it,” Anakin said to her. “You murder, and steal and destroy in the pursuit of your…..career.”

“And this is all beside the point,” Piett put in somewhat impatiently. “How are you communicating with your allies?”

She laughed cooly. “I won’t be sharing that.”

“I could make you,” Anakin told her with deadly purpose and Piett shot him a swift look. The Admiral had good reason for concern, given his own terrible experience with mind invasion. Anakin would never invade someone’s mind, but she didn’t know that.

She snorted lightly.

_ Or did she? _

“You could. But I heard you were reformed now. And that look our lovely Admiral just sent you tells me otherwise.  _ Firmus _ , do tell me how you saved the princess,” she said abruptly switching the topics as though she were in charge. “Quite heroic aren’t you? Willing to trade your life for hers?”

“You have no right to that information,” his Admiral told her tersely. “And yes, I will always be willing to trade my life for hers or any other that you put in jeopardy, save your own, of course.”

_ She sent him an unimpressed look, but her feelings betrayed her. She was definitely attracted to Piett. And that put him in danger. _

“Very well,” said Anakin. “You do not wish to cooperate. Enjoy the rest of your life in that cell. Must be hard on someone like you who so enjoys the social scene. In the meantime, we will seek out and destroy the rest of your operations. It may take us a while. But we’re very committed.”

“So am I,” she purred, “let me know when you’re ready to make a deal.” Her eyes flicked to Piett briefly once more, but his Admiral had years of experience schooling his features.

She was led away and Piett turned with Anakin to stride from detention.

“My Lord….” he began after some moments of silence.

“I know what you are going to say Piett,” Anakin interrupted, “and that woman’s harming of my daughter was in no way your fault.”

Piett huffed lightly, still clearly in disagreement.

But Anakin understood his Admiral much better now and he would not let Piett take this on his shoulders.

“I know that the experience of holding my daughter after she had been shot in the abdomen was particularly difficult for you, Piett.”   
  


_ Rilla. There was a name to Piett’s greatest grief, and Anakin knew that now. _

His Admiral stiffened as they walked toward his office and did not reply until they were inside.

“Sir….if I hadn’t…”

“You seem to forget, Admiral, that I was also part of the plan to take her down. If there is blame---and there is  _ not _ \---should it not be shared between us?”

Piett moved to stand behind his desk and look out at the stars.

“I revealed a weakness to her, sir.”

_ Admiral. Yes, this was difficult for Piett, having come from a childhood without affection. The man had not said so in so many words, but he had felt that. It had been easier for Piett to stuff down emotions lest they hurt too much, or cause others pain. _

“It is not a weakness to love my daughter, Admiral.” He pushed on, not wanting Piett to dwell further on this than he should. “Should we stop our endeavors because it might put our loved ones in danger? What do you think my daughter would say if we proposed that?”

Piett swung around to spear him with that hazel gaze. 

“She would never…” He sighed and braced his hands on his desk. “I…..am wondering if I could have better anticipated…”

“You are recalling I hope, Piett, that we are on the same side of this now. You are not solely responsible for all the lives on this ship, including my daughter’s.”

The Admiral held his gaze for a long minute. 

“I do understand, Admiral,” Anakin said calmly, “And I bear some of the blame for your inclination here. We are in this endeavour together. We will  _ share _ all the burdens it entails.”

And at last, Anakin felt something ease in Piett’s emotions.

“Thank you sir,” he answered quietly.


End file.
